resumé: ben discoe

46-4091 Old Mamalahoa Hwy.
Honokaa, HI 96727
(808) 775-9410
email: ben@vterrain.org

Challenging work as a programmer in the realtime 3D industry, to make interactive visualization accessible to a wider audience.

Primary Languages: C/C++, JavaScript

Environments: Windows, Linux

Areas of Expertise: 3D file formats, 3D/6D input devices, virtual terrain, procedural content generation, virtual world design, 3D geometry, framerate and scene quality optimization, immersion and usability issues in interactive 3D applications, geospatial and 3D file formats, geospatial data processing

Commonly Used APIs: Win32, MFC, OpenGL, wxWidgets, OSG, GDAL/OGR

Commonly Used Tools: Visual C++, CVS/SVN, ArcView, MultiGen, PhotoShop, Expression Web, Global Mapper, 3D Studio MAX, Blender, wxDesigner, Cygwin, GDAL, Xfrog, InnoSetup

Designed and implemented the software for the Virtual Terrain Project, a set of Open Source libraries and applications which enable the rapid construction of interactive 3D scenes from geospatial data for anywhere on the planet. Created and maintained a corresponding website acknowledged as the globally leading information source on the subject.

Implemented and contributed to the design of the prototype for Computer Associates' Real World Interface to their highly successful CA-Unicenter product which allows network and systems managers to review the IT infrastructure of the entire enterprise. This application is one of the first mainstream business uses of virtual reality technology, and enables administrators to assess the state of their computing environment at a glance.

Implemented with World Up and ActiveX in Internet Explorer and modeled terrain from USGS sources for the Intel Virtual Real Estate technology showcase. Users fly over a representation of available residences with factors such as asking price, time on market, number of bedrooms, and comparable neighborhood value displayed as 3D cues. Upon selecting a house, they can read a description or see images or video, and are shown local features such as stores and schools.

July 2004 - current: Consulting for numerous clients, in Europe and the USA. I provide development services to implement desired 3D visualization functionality by adapting the VTP and other open-source libraries to meet client needs.

July 2002 - June 2004: Open Planning Project, New York City, NY
Added a level of 3D WFS client functionality to support their efforts in advancing a free, distributed, and open geographic information infrastructure.

April 2002 - June 2002: Itron/Linesoft Inc., Spokane, WA
Provided consulting on geospatial data issues and C++ development support for the interactive 3D component of their new product, TL-Pro, an engineering tool for power transmission lines.

March 2001 - March 2002: Virtual Technologies Inc. (Immersion Corp.), Palo Alto, CA
Did development, testing and documentation for a legacy 3D IDE SimStudio, transforming it into a sellable commercial tool, VirtualHand Studio. Worked with the CyberGlove VR device. Re-wrote their primary application (Device Calibration) from Java to C++ with open, platform-independent APIs.

February 2001: Planet 9 Studios, San Francisco, CA
Wrote JavaScript, both embedded in HTML and in VRML Script nodes, for an "Web 3D" merchandise visualization application, Coleman Virtual Backyard.

1997-2000: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA
Developed tools and applications intended for advanced parallel architectures, supporting distributed simulation and rendering. Created massive interactive 3D environments with high image quality based on real geospatial data to catalyze the demand for future, higher-performance hardware platforms.

1992-1997: Sense8 Corporation, Mill Valley, CA
Did development, testing, and support for WorldToolKit, at the time the world's most mature 3D/VR API, and World Up, a powerful development environment for rapid prototyping of 3D/VR applications. I also did world creation for service contracts. Handled all aspects of product development, including documentation, demo and sample creation, customer training, interface design, technical support, version control, trade show presentation, debugging and feature implementation, quality assurance and user tutorials.

1990-1992: VersaSoft Corporation, San Jose, CA
Development, testing, and support for dBMAN, a portable DBMS. Ported the application to many different platforms including DOS, Macintosh, TOS, AmigaOS, and many varieties of Unix. Wrote and indexed a 400-page manual using FrameMaker. Wrote and supported a portability layer for cross-platform GUI development.

1989: Vision Research Lab, California Institute of Technology
Wrote, in C and ARexx, a communication and visualization interface for a data acquisition device gathering data on the process of vision in live brains.

1988-1990 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Pursued a degree in Engineering and Applied Science / Computer Science

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professional web site: http://vterrain.org/
personal web site: http://washedashore.com/

	Designed and implemented the software for the Virtual Terrain Project, a set of Open Source libraries and applications which enable the rapid construction of interactive 3D scenes from geospatial data for anywhere on the planet. Created and maintained a corresponding website acknowledged as the globally leading information source on the subject.
	Implemented and contributed to the design of the prototype for Computer Associates' Real World Interface to their highly successful CA-Unicenter product which allows network and systems managers to review the IT infrastructure of the entire enterprise. This application is one of the first mainstream business uses of virtual reality technology, and enables administrators to assess the state of their computing environment at a glance.
	Implemented with World Up and ActiveX in Internet Explorer and modeled terrain from USGS sources for the Intel Virtual Real Estate technology showcase. Users fly over a representation of available residences with factors such as asking price, time on market, number of bedrooms, and comparable neighborhood value displayed as 3D cues. Upon selecting a house, they can read a description or see images or video, and are shown local features such as stores and schools.